ShipLoaders and Material Handling

Agrico Shiploaders:

Agrico designs and manufactures shiploaders, for dry bulk products, worldwide. If the loading location is a new site we believe that our fixed shiploader can save you a considerable amount of money, due to lower foundation costs, while providing several advantages over other designs.
Our fixed shiploader is based on a design that’s loaded two ships per week, for over 40 years, at a grain terminal in New Orleans, LA.

This design installs a single or multiple fixed tower, rotating and shuttling shiploader(s) that are supported on the ship’s breasting dolphins or land based piles. The total cost of our multiple shiploaders is typically the same or less than a quadrant or linear shiploader.

Since this design uses the breasting dolphins or land piles as shiploader supports, you save the entire cost of the foundation required for other style loaders. We estimate this savings to be US$10 million or more.

Agrico has recently finished erection of our 13th to 15th shiploader of this design.

Our loaders shuttle in and out with a boom length of 27.4 meters (90’) to 45.7 meters (150’) from the center of rotation and rotate up to 360 degrees. They load any type of flowable product that moves on a belt conveyor. Ships of any size can be loaded, at a rate up to 10,000 mtph.

There are no cables or winches in our system eliminating much of the usual maintenance, as well as the safety risk of a cable break or brake failure.

The boom and tower are assembled and wired offsite, into two large components. The belt conveyor on the shiploader is installed and pre-shipment tested. These two large components are floated to the location, where pre-assembly and pre-wiring allow for quick erection, minimizing business interruption at the jobsite. If freight is a concern, we can ship the shiploader(s) unassembled in containers and on flat racks and assemble them onsite.

Our shiploader is radio remote controlled, which allows the operator to control loading from anywhere in the dock area, including from the deck of the ship, facilitating better communication between the terminal and the ship.

Contact us for more information or for a quotation.

WHY BUY AN AGRICO SHIPLOADER?

PROVEN DESIGN — The Agrico shiploader is based on a design that’s been in operation, at a grain terminal in New Orleans, for over 40 years
PROVEN SUPPLIER — Agrico has installed 15 shiploaders of this design in the past 16 years
SAFETY — Because the Agrico shiploader utilizes rack and pinion drives (shuttle and slew), our shiploader eliminates the catistrophic accidents associated with cable and winch failures
LOWER FOUNDATION COSTS — Agrico’s fixed shiploader(s) usually have significantly lower foundation costs than quadrant or linear loaders
LOW MAINTENANCE COST — No cables or winches means less maintenance and more operational reliability
OPTIONAL EASY INSTALLATIONS — Agrico’s offsite assembly of the shiploader(s) and associated conveyors, into two large pieces, can result in quicker and less disruptive erection at the site
STANDARDIZATION — Agrico’s shiploader is built around standard parts
REDUNDANCY — Multiple loaders offer operational security over a single loader

HIGH CAPACITY — Load rates up to 10,000 tons per hour are available

SEVERAL MODELS —We build models to load any size and configuration bulk carrier
EFFICIENCY OF TRIMMING SHIPS — Two or three Agrico loaders save 3-5 hours loading time per ship by not needing to stop loading to switch holds, like mobile loaders.
RADIO REMOTE CONTROLLED — Operation of the complete system can be performed from anywhere in the dock area, including the deck of the ship, enhancing communications
LOW LABOR REQUIREMENTS — One operator can usually operate the shiploader(s) as well as plant conveyors delivering product to the shiploader(s)
EASILY EXPANDED — Additional Agrico shiploaders can be added easily at a later date
EASY ACCESS — Able to load ships on both sides of the quay
ENVIRONMENTALLY FRIENDLY — Agrico shiploader’s require smaller foundations, meaning less disruption to fish breeding areas.